Word Origin & History

ignoramus 1577, Anglo-Fr. legal term, from L. ignoramus "we do not know," first person present indicative of ignorare "not to know" (see ignorant). The legal term was one a grand jury could write on a bill when it considered the prosecution's evidence insufficient. Sense of "ignorant person" came from the title role of George Ruggle's 1615 play satirizing the ignorance of common lawyers.

Example Sentences for ignoramus

He is no ignoramus, either, for he must be able to read and write and understand geography to get any good out of that memorandum.

Judging by her looks, she must have thought me an ignoramus.

The skilful writer expects reasonable accuracy, the ignoramus wants printers to be Macaulays and mind-readers as well.

No, I am the public, and this ignoramus—this Cerberus—won't let me in!

I would rather remain an ignoramus than develop a pretty wit for another's dole.

She realized that Helen was by no means the ignoramus Belle and Hortense said.

But the jury returned the bill with Ignoramus on it, and so found no indictment.

But I am only an ignoramus, and certainly failed to understand everything in it.

Other articles are all other articles, and none but an ignoramus, or something worse, would have put such a phrase into a treaty.